For All Of Time
by Wijida
Summary: Although Kate never really knew about Leopold...well, never /believed/...lets say that she did...and realized that she may just have to let him go.


**Disclaimer**: I intended to write a completely different story, but as I'm in that mood- having just seen "Kate and Leopold" (which belongs to Miramax)…I had to write this. As I say, it doesn't belong to me, but to Miramax!! ;) 

For All Of Time 

By Manda (Mizuno Ami)

"_In your heart, _

_in your mind,_

_ I'll stay with you… for all of time."_

_ -"Wherever You'll Go", The Calling. ("Kate & Leopold")._

She stopped at the door, realizing for the first time in moments that he was watching her, like he always did, although somehow it didn't seem right at the time to acknowledge that. He was handsome, as handsome as they came, and with every second she stood there she knew that he was thinking about something- anything- and whatever it was, it captured his attention, although not enough to draw his gaze from her form.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" He did turn, then, full figure visable to her in the half-light, now. The candles he had set about flickered in the vast room, picture frames on the wall reflecting tongues of golden flame and dazzling the eye for each instance in which one might watch them. Her skirt whispered, moving over her shoes and allowing her to move as well, propelling herself toward him as he awaited her. She knew he did. She knew what he wanted to happen, and she wondered if it were at all possible. 

"For never believing you. When you told me where you came from- I didn't believe you, Leopold, and for every second that I didn't believe you, I know that it wasn't right."

"My story sounded ludicrous, Kate. You had every reason, every-"

"But that doesn't mean that it was _right_, Leopold." She crossed the remainder of the space between them, hands idling over the fabric of her raven-black jacket, smoothing it toward the skirt. His credentials, so to speak, on how a woman should act, how she should be- it wasn't at all accurate for the time, but as she watched him, all she found she could admit was that he was right. On some plane of exisistance, if not New York City, he was right, and she realized that what she wanted was to fulfil some part of his expectations. To please him, and be fine with it for every second that she did so. "You come from 1876, and you know so much more than…any man I've ever encountered now! Today, I could walk out onto the street, and encounter someone who wouldn't _possibly _live up to what you can be. Every day, waking up to fresh toast with strawberries…I can't imagine never having that again. And never having _you_."

"Katherine…" He was a duke; he was a gentleman, and he was standing right in front of her with the most out-of-place demeanor. And yet…and yet, he had managed, in the course of three days, to establish himself in her eyes, gaining a foothold in the twenty-first century with the grace she imagined had seemed so everyday, where he came from. "Katherine…I do love you."

"And I love you." She was in his arms before she knew it, kissing him with passion and somehow bottling it all into one long, refined embrace. "I don't want you to go back."

"But I have to, dear Katherine. I must." There. He'd spoken of the one thing which stood between them, the white elephant which danced in the corner and shouted out to all the world. They were in love, and they couldn't be together.

"I wish you hadn't followed him back," she whispered, cheek pressed against the soft fabric of the t-shirt he wore, breath warm as it reflected from his chest. "I wish this wasn't going to be so hard."

"I am truly sorry, Kate."

"Don't be." She pulled her face away and smiled, before bestowing apon him another passionate kiss and cupping his cheek in her palm. "Leopold… spending all of my weekend with you was better than anything I could have ever hoped for, and I wouldn't have changed any of it for the world. "

"Nor would I."

They stood together, silent, for what seemed to be all of time itself- Kate contented with just listening to his heartbeat, the strong eighteenth century arms wrapped around her, secure, reassurance that, for the time being, she had him in her sights, and she didn't have to let him go _tonight_. As long as she had tonight…

Although she didn't imagine that she could let him go tomorrow, either…although she would try. 

-Fin


End file.
